In the Life of Laynie

Chapter 37📷 Ant on a Log

Three days before my wedding, I woke up to a madhouse. Elijah was screaming, Milo and my mother were arguing, and I knew dad was using the TV to try and drown them out. I told myself I should have stayed at home instead of Milo's. Jax wanted us to stay, but I knew my mother would drive him bonkers, trying to rearrange his things. He had a very particular order he liked and she couldn't help herself.

I pleaded to the high heavens that I could simply get thirty minutes of silence because it had been nonstop since we picked my parents up from the airport. When mom wasn't nagging me about my prenatal vitamins or eating habits, she was questioning Milo's parenting with a lot of unapproving looks and groans. I understood why she was doing it though. The newness of Elijah being with him had yet to wear off and he was overcompensating for the time he missed.

Frankly, the boy was driving me up the wall. He didn't eat anything but cereal, chicken, and grilled cheese. Every time I mentioned him trying something new, he broke into tears. He absolutely detested mornings. Getting him out of bed, was like trying to peel an orange with mittens on. I knew I had to be easy, but some days I wished he was old enough for me to grab his ankles and yank him out of the bed.

I decided it was best to get on with the day when I heard the door slam. As slow as possible, I crept down the hall, shaking my head at the bomb that went off in the boy's bedroom. When I made it into the living room, I couldn't help but giggle at Milo. He was shirtless, wearing a pair of blue flannel pajama pants. He was staring into the stainless steel fridge, tugging his hair with both hands. My mom looked at me, flinging her hands in the air. Dad had obviously heard enough because he was nowhere in sight.

"Laynie, would you tell him, it won't kill that boy to eat sausage!"

"Milo, it wo-" I stopped short when he frowned over his shoulder with a look saying 'if you finish that, I'll lose it'. I felt awful. My poor man was brutally unprepared for his new role in fatherhood. It was apparent I needed to do something about my mother, so I took one for the team, removing a large mug out of the cabinet after I kissed Milo on his cheek. As I anticipated, mother huffed dramatically, tossing her head back. I had no intentions of filling the mug up, but I did want some coffee.

"Laynie! Decaf!" She shouted, dumping my morning glory down the drain. Milo raced to the sink in utter despair.

"Awww, Caroline, what'd you do that for? That was a fresh pot!"

" Coffee is bad for the baby."

"I'm not pregnant and I need it to wake up!"

"Too bad! She didn't make that baby alone, so she ain't suffering alone," She rubbed his arm, "You'll live just like your boy."

I shattered their dispute with laughter. My mom was something else and it made me want to scream, but I loved her so much. She wasn't wrong, however, Milo was a complete jerk if he didn't get at least two cups of his 'juice' in the morning. Leaning over, he lightly tapped his head to the counter a few times, grumbling profanities under his breath.

"I'm already gonna be late because I have to speak to the principal. Now, I have to make an extra stop and get coffee." He waved at us dismissively as he walked into the bedroom, slamming the door.

After a frantic shoe hunt, we went our separate ways. Milo, Elijah, Grayson, and Todd headed for the school while Rocky and I went to Stein Corp, leaving mom to ransack Milo's penthouse. She shooed his maid away every morning since the day she arrived so she had something to do.

Jax and Kace were waiting in my office when I arrived. Even though he still had some pink and yellow bags around his eye, my best friend was looking like himself again. I scoffed, slapping his legs when I noticed his loafers propped up on my desk. The mischievous smirk trained in my direction made me stare dumbly. He was definitely up to something.